But then the shadow stepped into the light, and I knew this was not a performance. This was not a play.
That was a real sword. That was a real ax.
And the shadow, was a real demon.
A demon I’d only seen once before.
Bathin’s brother, Goap was moving faster than my brain could adjust to the fact he was here, now, in Ordinary.
Or maybe he wasn’t really here. The last time he’d shown up and stabbed his brother, Goap had been a projection and the weapon had been nothing but air.
This time, this time details, solid details hit like lightning.
His heavy boot tread. His controlled breathing, the scent of him on the wind—charred wood, basil, and something sharp like whiskey.
He was not a projection.
Goap was here, really here. And he was about to cut off his brother’s head with an ax.
I ran.
“Bathin!” I yelled. “Behind!”
Bathin pivoted, but it was late, much too late. I put my hand on my gun, but they were too close together for me to get off a shot without hitting Bathin.
“Stop!” I yelled.
The crowd had caught on that this wasn’t a show any more. Someone screamed, Goap swung the ax at Bathin’s head, yelling, “Die!” and all hell broke loose.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Everything happened lightning-fast.Ryder running the stairs, panic wide and harsh on his face, Bertie practically flying toward us, her speed incredible, the crowd yelling, screaming.
Vivian, slower than me, much slower, but I had the sense she’d drawn a gun out of her purse and was getting ready to squeeze the trigger no matter who took the bullet.
And the worst, the gut-wrenching realization that I’d never get to Bathin, get in front of him before that ax cut off his head.
It didn’t stop me from trying though.
I threw myself at Bathin, hoping to knock him sideways away from the main impact point of the blade.
My feet left the stage, and I angled my shoulder to hit Bathin mid-body.
But just as I connected, the ax blade slicing air inches above my ear, my whole body ready to tuck and roll, everything stopped.
Well, I didn’t stop. I rammed into a brick wall named Bathin who didn’t even grunt from the impact, even though I was pretty sure I’d just dislocated my shoulder.
I fell on my ass and knocked my head so hard on the floor everything blacked out for a second. My shoulder slapped the boards, and pain exploded, bringing me fully awake in a white-hot nebula that burrowed sparks through my muscles.
“Fuck!” I yelled, grabbing my shoulder, trying to blink away enough of the pain that I wouldn’t barf.
I was sure I’d see Bathin chopped in half. I was sure I would see Goap smiling his evil villain smile, then probably doing some sort of monolog about how much he’d always hated his brother.
But when I could see, when the pain had faded from a universe of heat to maybe just a small galaxy burning in my shoulder and back of my head, what I saw were both brothers, standing, facing each other.
They were opposites, these demons, Bathin solid and wide as a mountain, Goap lithe and fluid like smoke and oil. But their coloring was the same, and their eyes—one look at their ice-green eyes, and anyone would know they were brothers.
“Are you okay, Delaney?” Bathin asked, not looking away from Goap.
